Bill Text: TX HB473 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a prohibition on the sale or transfer of certain law enforcement vehicles before removal of certain equipment and insignia.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-01 - Effective on 9/1/15 [HB473 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB473-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 473 | ||
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| relating to a prohibition on the sale or transfer of certain law | ||
| enforcement vehicles before removal of certain equipment and | ||
| insignia. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 2175, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 2175.908 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 2175.908. SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE. | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the commission or another | ||
| state agency, including an agency delegated the authority to | ||
| dispose of surplus or salvage property under Section 2175.065, may | ||
| not sell or transfer a marked patrol car or other law enforcement | ||
| motor vehicle to the public unless the state agency first removes | ||
| any equipment or insignia that could mislead a reasonable person to | ||
| believe that the vehicle is a law enforcement motor vehicle, | ||
| including any police light, siren, amber warning light, spotlight, | ||
| grill light, antenna, emblem, outline of an emblem, and emergency | ||
| vehicle equipment. | ||
| (b) The commission or another state agency, including an | ||
| agency delegated the authority to dispose of surplus or salvage | ||
| property under Section 2175.065, may not sell or transfer a marked | ||
| patrol car or other law enforcement motor vehicle to a security | ||
| services contractor who is regulated by the Department of Public | ||
| Safety and licensed under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, unless | ||
| each emblem or insignia that identifies the vehicle as a law | ||
| enforcement motor vehicle is removed before the sale or transfer. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 2175.304, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: | ||
| (f) Section 2175.908 applies to a university system or | ||
| institution or agency of higher education included within the | ||
| definition of "state agency" under Section 2151.002. | ||
| SECTION 3. Chapter 272, Local Government Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 272.006 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 272.006. SALE OR TRANSFER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE. | ||
| (a) In this section, "political subdivision" means a county, | ||
| municipality, school district, junior college district, other | ||
| special district, or other subdivision of state government. | ||
| (b) A political subdivision may not sell or transfer a | ||
| marked patrol car or other law enforcement motor vehicle to the | ||
| public unless the political subdivision first removes any equipment | ||
| or insignia that could mislead a reasonable person to believe that | ||
| the vehicle is a law enforcement motor vehicle, including any | ||
| police light, siren, amber warning light, spotlight, grill light, | ||
| antenna, emblem, outline of an emblem, or emergency vehicle | ||
| equipment. | ||
| (c) A political subdivision may not sell or transfer a | ||
| marked patrol car or other political subdivision law enforcement | ||
| motor vehicle to a security services contractor who is regulated by | ||
| the Department of Public Safety and licensed under Chapter 1702, | ||
| Occupations Code, unless each emblem or insignia that identifies | ||
| the vehicle as a law enforcement motor vehicle is removed before the | ||
| sale or transfer. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 473 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 2, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 473 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 20, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
